


Unexpected  Help

by believe_in_alderaan



Series: JFO Extended Drama [6]
Category: Star Wars: Jedi: Fallen Order (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Cal kestis whump, Canon-Typical Violence, Gen, Spoilers, Star Wars Spoilers, Whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-24
Updated: 2019-11-24
Packaged: 2021-02-26 05:07:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,699
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21548104
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/believe_in_alderaan/pseuds/believe_in_alderaan
Summary: The redheaded male made no indication of waking as Cyrren laid him on her grassy bed near the small fire she’d built earlier in the day. The small droid provided light for her as she looked over the injuries the male had sustained in his fight. She began removing the cloth dressings and belts on the boy and carefully set them on a raised log for safekeeping. She made sure the metal lightstick he was carrying was on top. Once the male was dressed only in his trousers and boots, she turned him over onto his side, revealing deep dark bruises littering his back.---Drawing out what happened when Cal fought the Ninth Sister.
Series: JFO Extended Drama [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1551049
Comments: 8
Kudos: 133





	Unexpected  Help

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ShadowSpark](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShadowSpark/gifts).



> Thank you ShadowSpark for the request. If anybody has any ideas of other scenes they'd like drawn-out, let me know.

The Origin Tree was remarkable in that it supported a vast range of wildlife and plant life. Cal stood at the top where the Shyyyo bird had brought him, absorbing Cordova’s words. “Kujet’s Tomb,” he breathed to his droid companion. “On Dathomir.” He looked up at the clear, blue sky. This planet was beautiful, and the air so clean. Bracca had been suffocating, and almost never stopped raining. He took a deep breath. BD-1 gave a cautious chirp, snapping him back to reality.

Cal wasn’t excited about the prospect of returning to Dathomir, but knowing that would finally give them the holocron gave him renewed energy. He raced back to where the Shyyyo bird was waiting. He needed to get back to the Mantis and let Cere and Greez know.

The clearing was quiet, save for the coos of the gigantic bird. Cal approached slowly, giving its beak a tender pat. “Thanks again,” he said quietly. He was full of gratitude. “I wouldn’t have gotten up here on my own, at least as easily.”

He looked around, realizing the clearing he was in felt more like a nest. He wondered if this is where the Shyyyo bird actually lived. The large animal graciously invited Cal to jump back on its back. 

BANG two giant blaster bolts hit the ground mere feet from Cal and the bird. 

“NO!” Cal shrieked as the animal fell. Another blast struck a nearby mass of branches and leaves. Cal was showered with flaming debris. He began to run, but in every direction another strike would block his way.

The deluge suddenly stopped, and heavy footsteps replaced them. Cal whipped around, lightsaber in-hand. He found himself face-to-face with the Ninth Sister, a large Dowuten inquisitor. “Found you again,” she growled, teeth bared.

“You’re done hurting this world,” Cal spat. He felt his anger rising. 

“I don’t know what’s got Second Sister thinkin’ you’re so important,” Ninth continued, ignoring Cal completely. “She likes her souvenirs, but… I’m not in it for the memories and honestly, you’re just not worth my time.” 

_ Souvenir?  _ Cal thought. He tried to suppress the interpretations his mind kept coming up with.

“So let’s make this QUICK.” Cal felt himself being dragged forward by the force. He counter-pushed and managed to land on his feat, lightsaber raised. 

Ninth was slower, but also stronger with the force. She pulled Cal to her once more and thrust her red lightsaber toward his chest. Cal pushed himself to the side and crossed his saber with hers. She repeatedly thrust, Cal barely catching each blow before they made contact with his body.

“”HOLD STILL,” she demanded. Cal was thrown backwards, landing feet away in a muddy puddle. He scrambled to his feet, mud coating his entire left side. They crossed sabers again, angry shouts coming from the inquisitor. Cal kept his teeth grit to stay focused. 

The Ninth Sister took a swing at Cal’s head with her blade. Cal jumped and rolled, kicking up more mud and debris. He looked up just as a bunch of rocks were hurled at him. He managed to turn away and shield his face, and felt the large stones pelting his back.

He was starting to feel tired. The sun was going down and he’d been awake for almost a full rotation, if not longer. It felt like he’d never get the upper-hand on the inquisitor, and only just managed to say alive.

Ninth was getting tired too, he could tell. Her shouts were turning into grunts, her force pushes less powerful. Cal started looking for opportunities to escape. He wouldn’t keep this up forever. Every so often he’d throw some sort of debris back at his attacker to try and buy enough time to run.

One opportunity finally came. It was fully dark now, and the air was suddenly very very cold. The only source of light came from the mostly full moons in the sky. Cal threw a large mud clod at Ninth’s face, smearing her visors and blinding her temporarily. He turned to escape, but he was suddenly thrown forward. She had blindly pushed out with the force, hoping to hit her goal.

Cal flew off the ledge, landing on his back in another clearing on the giant tree. He felt a sickening crunch, the wind knocked out of him. BD-1 managed to get out of the way before the fall, and was now on Cal’s chest, encouraging him to get up again. Cal moaned. His body was on fire, his adrenaline running out. He pulled his comm from its holster on its belt. It was completely smashed.

  
BD-1 nuzzled into Cal’s hand, pushing him to get up. He had to roll away abruptly when the Ninth Sister came crashing down where his head was moments ago.

Cal was on his feet again, this time to run. He began to descend the massive tree. Behind him he heard the crashing and gnashing of the Ninth Sister. “Come back here coward!” Her voice echoed off the large walls of wood from the tree. 

Nocturnal wildlife kept the air alive with sounds. The hairs on the back of Cal’s neck were raised. He’d met a dead end, and the light from his blade wasn’t enough to tell him if it would be safe to turn around. 

“Coward!” the Ninth Sister roared again.

He found a window and lunged, his saber finding hers. She pushed him down, but he being smaller managed to get out from under her blade. He flipped, and to her surprise, lobbed off her right hand. The appendage and the weapon went flying into the mud.

Ninth was on her knees, clutching the smoldering stump where her hand had been. “It’s over,” Cal barked.

The inquisitor looked up at Cal with a smirk. “Being an inquisitor taught me no set-back is too great,” she spat. Cal backed away as she rose to her feet. “When you’ve already lost yourself, a limb’s easy.” She began to walk to the side, Cal following her steps to keep the same distance from her. “You know, I was a Jedi,” she continued snidely. “It’d be fun to bring you in. Watch you CRACK like the rest of us!” 

Cal ducked, the red saber flying over his head and into the remaining hand of the Ninth Sister. He faced her, his weapon raised, but didn’t say a word.

“Oh, angers you doesn't it?” she mocked. 

Cal swallowed his fear. Being taken in would mean a fate worse than death, and he didn’t want to even consider it. 

“TORTURE.” A fast swing of the red saber. Cal fell backwards, landing hard. 

“MUTILATION.” Cal scrambled to his feet, force-pushing Ninth back.

“AND YOUR FRIENDS,” she howled, bringing her saber down toward Cal’s head. He blocked, their blades hissing angrily against each other. 

“I won’t let you touch them!” Cal bellowed, angry tears streaming down his face. 

“You can’t stop the empire!” The Ninth Sister declared. 

Cal felt his senses dulling. He couldn’t hold on much longer. He took a deep breath, the force around him becoming sharper. “No,” he challenged, their blades still locked together. “I can stop you.” Cal managed to push her saber away, throwing her balance off. He jumped, flipping over her and leaving a burning streak on her back. She looked to him, fear in her eyes, and he reached out with all his might. The Ninth Sister was pushed back with such force, she crashed through the surrounding branches and fell down the massive tree. 

Cal fell to his knees, his hand still outstretched. He couldn’t believe it was finally over.

“Boop boop?” BD-1 asked. 

“Yeah,” Cal panted. “We just took down an inquisitor.” He retracted his lightsaber and slumped back into the mud. His body ached and the dirt and grime that covered him was starting to chafe. 

BD-1 gave an alerting chip. Cal realized he’d laid down, his eyes closed. He tried to sit up, but a throbbing in his head kept him vertical. “Boop boop?” BD-1 asked softly. Cal turned to look at his friend. His back ached from the rocks that had pelted him and his arms stung from being scraped up by debris. “I need to rest, buddy. I need… to rest.” Cal squinted in the darkness, thinking he had seen movement out of the corner of his eye. Soon, fatigue overtook him, and he knew no more.

  
\---  
  


Cyrren quietly approached the unconscious human. His droid companion stood guard on the boy’s chest and gave a few warning squawks toward the wookiee. She knelt down and extended her furry hand toward the droid, hoping it would understand that she was here to help. The small droid finally took this as a good sign, and backed off of his human. 

Cyrren examined the human male carefully. She had witnessed parts of the events that had unfolded, but had remained hidden. Both the human and the dowuten were force users, and she was no stranger to the dangers of the darkside. However, she knew that his redheaded boy was a carrier of light. He had defeated the dark intruder and had made his mission clear; he was there to protect Kashyyyk.

The wookie gingerly lifted the male from the muddy ground and carried him deeper into the tree to her home, the small droid following. Her dwelling was well-hidden, almost as if it were underground. The large twisted knots of wood in the Origin Tree had created a sanctuary for her, and she gratefully had lived undisturbed for many years.

  
The redheaded male made no indication of waking as Cyrren laid him on her grassy bed near the small fire she’d built earlier in the day. The small droid provided light for her as she looked over the injuries the male had sustained in his fight. She began removing the cloth dressings and belts on the boy and carefully set them on a raised log for safekeeping. She made sure the metal lightstick he was carrying was on top. Once the male was dressed only in his trousers and boots, she turned him over onto his side, revealing deep dark bruises littering his back.

Cyrren got to work cleaning the mud from the pale skin of the human. She then began mixing leaves and herbs with tree sap to form a healing paste. The small droid kept its light steady for her as she worked. Once she was satisfied with the consistency, she spread the mixture onto each injured spot on the male’s pale back. She made sure to also cover the angry scratches that littered his arms and face. She then dressed the areas with large and small leaves to keep the paste from rubbing off while he slept.

The wookiee grunted with relief. She felt gratitude to the Origin Tree for sending the young force-user to her care. She made sure he was covered with a large woolen blanket, then leaned back against one of the walls of her home to rest.  
  
\---  
  
Cal jolted awake.  _ Where am I?  _ he thought, squinting in the near-darkness. The sun hadn’t risen yet. How long had he been asleep? He noticed the walls, which were made of wood, and had one small opening in the side that went upward, and a small opening at the top for the smoke from the small fire. He sat up and examined himself.  _ Are these… leaves? _ He was puzzled, peeling leaves from his arms and chest. He was surprised to find that he bruises and scratches he’d gotten earlier were almost completely healed.

A low grunt caught his attention and he tried to keep his surprise quiet. A female wookiee approached him, and Cal caught sight of the soft kindness in her blue eyes. He relaxed. BD-1 lit up nearby and hopped onto his lap, chirping happily.

“Arrrgrrr?” the wookiee asked.

Cal frowned. “I’m so sorry, I don’t understand,” he admitted, awkwardly running his hands through his messy hair. The wookiee didn’t seem to mind. She motioned to a nearby log and showed Cal where she had put his belongings. Cal nodded his understanding. 

“Rowrigghh hrmkuhhrnnn,” the wookiee continued. She reached out and touched one of Cal’s hands.

Cal felt a surge of emotion from the wookiee. The force sent him a strong echo that brought tears to his eyes. He almost couldn’t bear it.

“You.. you’ve carried a great sorrow,” Cal said, tears welling. “Your son was a padawan in the Jedi order. He was… killed in the purge.” The wookiee nodded slowly. Cal still held her hand, looking up at her with concern and sadness. “You lost your partner when the empire came to this planet. Your entire tribe. You took refuge in the Origin Tree and never left.”

Cal had to let go of her hand, but still looked upon her face. He tried to sit up more fully but she held up her hands, trying to get him to stay laying down. Cal nodded and laid back. Though most of his pain was gone, he still felt nagging fatigue. 

“I wish I knew your name,” Cal admitted. “My name is Cal Kestis.”

The wookiee nodded. She handed Cal a bowl of hot water that had herbs seeped in it. He took the drink gratefully and downed it. He handed the bowl back and their hands touched slightly. A small sense from the force granted Cal his wish. “Your name is Cyrren,” he said. She nodded.  A grateful smile played on Cal’s tired lips. “Thank you, Cyrren.” He began to feel drowsy again. Whatever she had given him was meant to make him sleep, and he didn’t argue. He would return to the Mantis once the sun was in the sky again.

  
\---

Cal dressed while Cyrren waited outside of the dwelling. The light from outside gave him a better look at the inside of the hollowed out area. The wookiee had been meticulously collecting herbs and hanging them up along some of the walls of the hut. She also had carvings, some of which resembled figure that Cal took to be her lost family. He ran a hand along the smallest figure, breathing through the pain that echoed off.

Cyrren returned to the dwelling and watched Cal take in his surroundings. Cal gave her a small smile and she handed him a small carved token on a string.

“Thank you. I wish I had something to give you,” he said sadly. Cyrren nodded and pulled Cal into a gentle hug. He couldn’t help but bury his face into her soft warm fur, relishing in the expression of love.

When Cal pulled away, he had to wipe away a few tears. “I’m so sorry what the empire has done to you, to your planet,” he said. “I promise I will do everything I can to make things right.” He turned to one of the carved walls, then gave Cyrren a questioning look. She nodded her encouragement. He placed his hand on a blank area of the wall, then using a small blade from his belt, carved the outline of his hand into the gnarled old wood.

Cal pulled his and away. Cyrren reached out and delicately touched the carving. “Grrgaaggaa,” she said gratefully. Cal smiled at her.

Cal emerged from the wookiee’s home to find the Shyyyo bird waiting for him. “Hey!” he said excitedly. “We thought you were dead!” he reached out and stroked the large bird’s neck. “I’m so glad you’re okay.” He looked back where Cyrren was standing. 

“I can’t thank you enough,” Cal said, slipping the token she’d given him over his head. He jogged back over to her for one last hug. 

“Mmmmmmrrrrr,” the wookiee said fondly. She let Cal go and nodded. Cal nodded back before going back to the Shyyyo bird and climbing on to its back. He looked back at BD-1, making sure the droid was secure to his back.

“I will return,” Cal promised to Cyrren. His heart was full of gratitude for the elder wookiee. “I promise.”

With that, the large bird took flight, carrying Cal away from the Origin Tree and back to where the Mantis was waiting. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! We love Cal, right?
> 
> Don't forget to check out the other works in the series.


End file.
